Parachute



A. FORICHON Aug. 22, 1961 PARACHUTE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 6, 1958 /N VEN TUR ALPHO/vsf ffm/@HUN By 2V ATTORNEYS Allg- 22, 1961 A. FoRlcHoN 2,997,263

PARACHUTE Filed Oct. 6, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INYENTOR ALPHONSE PoR/@HON B7 maw/M ATTORNEYS United States Patent C) Moulineaux, Seine, France Filed Oct. 6, 1958, Ser. No. 765,470 Claims priority, application France Oct. 7, 1957 3 Claims. (Cl. 244-145) This invention relates to parachutes and is concerned more particularly with parachutes of moderate diameter used as stabilizers. I

lIt is the object of this invention to provide a very economical parachute the supporting surface of which consists of two bands of fabric assembled to constitute a cross. These bands have the width of the roll of material produced therefore and are edged by the selvedge obtained by weaving. The advantages of a parachute according to this invention, in addition to its extreme simplicity of manufacture, are the considerable stability resulting from the intervals obtained between the crossforming pieces of material. On the other hand, the cap of the parachute which consists of the region in which the two cross-forming elements are superposed is reinforced by the very method of manufacture since the material is doubled at this place. The riggings are mounted by stitching on the ends of the cross-forming elements and may have extensions in the form of strips or tapes providing an additional reinforcement of the selvedges of the material.

In order to illustrate this invention and the manner in which the same may be carried out in the practice, reference will be made to the attached drawing forming part of this specification and illustrating diagrammatically by Way of example a typical form of embodiment of the invention. In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a plane view of the parachute.

FIGURE 2 is a detail illustrating on a larger scale the assembling of the two bands of material, and

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the present parachute in its deployed condition.

In FIG. 1 the reference numeral 1 designates the rst band of fabric having its ends at A-B and C-D. The selvedges 3, 5 extend from A to D and from B to C, respectively. The other band of fabric 2 has two ends E-F and G-H and its selvedges 4, 6 extend from E to H and from F to G, respectively. These selvedges are reinforced by tapes on which are sewn by zig-zag stitches to the bands 1 and 2. The two bands of fabric are assembled along the lines I-J-K-L by crossed zig-zag stitches as shown in detail in FIG. 2.

Eight rigging lines 11-18 inclusive are connected to Patented Aug. 22, 1961 lCe said bands at their end corners A--H respectively. Each of said lines extends in line with and are contiguous extensions of said re-inforcing tapes. That is, lines 11 and 16 extend in line with tape 3, lines 12 and 15 with tape 5, lines 14 and 17 with tape 4 and lines 13 and 18 with tape 6.

Alternately, the points D--E, F-A, B-G and H-C, that is, the adjacent corners of the two bands 1, 2 are interconnected by tapes 21, 22, 23, 24 respectively. These tapes, of adequate width and material, may partially incurve the supporting surface of said bands when in use.

The parachute is operated by attaching a weight to the point of jointure of the riggings 11 to 18, inclusive, and when descending through the atmosphere intiates to its deployed condition as shown in FIGURE 3 with the opposite branches of the bands 1 and 2 curving inwardly catching air therebeneath for retarding the descent of the parachute. The resulting tensions on the ropes 11 to 18, inclusive, are equalized between the ropes attached to the opposite ends of each band, that is, at the opposite ends of each band 1 or 2.

What I claim as new is:

1. A parachute comprising a canopy consisting only of two bands of cloth each woven to a desired width and having selvedged edges, said bands extending perpendicular to one another with superimposed medial portions forming a cross with the opposite branches thereof being provided by the same band, the superimposed portions of said crossed bands being connected together, reinforcing tapes being connected to and extending along said band selvedges and rigging being connected to said band for extending in a direction in line with and as a contiguous extension of said reinforcing tapes.

2. A parachute as set forth in claim l, wherein tapes interconnect the ends of said bands for partially inwardly curving said bands when in use.

3. A parachute as set forth in claim 1, wherein crossed zig-zag stitching is provided along the selvedges of said bands and the connection of said band superimposed portions is provided by crossed zig-zag stitching along the selvedged edges thereof.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,834,370 Askam Dec. l, 1931 2,494,600 Weinig Jan. 17, 1950 2,745,615 Fogal May 15, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,087,786 France Sept. 1, 1954 

